Waiting For What’s Next

Do you have a time and place you like to sneak away to so you can reset? Clear your head? For me that’s outside. Last night after it taking an abnormally long time to lay C down, I snuck off to the edge of the dock. I just sat down, listened to the waves, the sounds of the birds, the wind. And I started to pray. I have been feeling more anxious lately about what is “next”. There have been some pretty exciting opportunities come up over the last few months, but God has placed me in a season of waiting.

As I was praying, I asked (like always lately) for Him to clearly SHOW me. Show me what it is He wants me to do next. But as I was praying, God breathed new life into my prayer. He changed my SHOW me to THANK you. He changed my anxiousness to gratefulness. He transformed my “show me what’s next” to “help me to be thankful for where you’ve placed me right now”. God reminded me that in all things, in all seasons, He is using every corner or dead end in our little life to change our direction and grow in obedience to walk faithfully with Him. And sometimes that means waiting. And sometimes that means unanswered prayers. And sometimes that means patience. And all times, that means trust.

One of the opportunities I have been waiting on is the chance to be a contributing writer for a blog for mom’s in the Twin Cities I love. I was able to grab coffee one morning with the owner of the blog about 2 months ago after she had stumbled across my Instagram and reached out to me. She shared some exciting options of how I could be involved with the blog! More than anything, I got to connect with another mom, doing her very best to be the best mom, wife, friend, coworker, blogger she can be for other moms, and I was so excited and eager to learn more. But as I  searched for a writing sample to submit for the contributing writer app, I came across my post titled “The Maze of Life” I wrote shortly after C was born. I was humbly reminded of the sweet words God used through Elizabeth George’s book I read in bible study last year titled, “Loving God with all your Mind”. As I reread my post, I was encouraged and reminded that God’s timing and faithfulness to us is perfect. No matter if He’s providing answers immediately or allowing us to go through a time of unanswered prayers and waiting, we can and SHOULD trust in God and know that His purpose for our lives is already lived out in Christ. We don’t have to fret about what’s coming next, because He already knows. He wants us to enjoy the good gifts that He’s giving us RIGHT now!

If you’re in a place of waiting, a holding period, at a seemingly dead end, BE there. Allow God to give you peace in your heart knowing He’s got all the details already figured out. He knows what’s next. He wants you to be present and enjoy the goodness of where and who He’s placed in front of you NOW! So take a few minutes to reset and SEE how much goodness God has provided for you RIGHT now, RIGHT where you’re at friends!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:4-7 🌿

-C